Is Lebanon Headed toward Another Civil War?
January 25, 2007 Violent clashes in Beirut on January 25 between students of rival political parties have overshadowed the promising news that Lebanon received pledges of $7.6 billion at the Paris III donor conference on Lebanon’s economy. The violence, which was largely along sectarian lines, was the latest in a series of escalating political/religious confrontations. This troubling trend raises the specter that Lebanon may once again be sliding toward civil war. Political paralysis has gripped Lebanon since last November, when the opposition — led by Hizballah and its Christian allies — left the government and launched massive protests against prime minister Fouad Siniora’s “March 14” coalition demanding more political clout. It had been hoped that Arab mediation would provide an exit to the crisis, but events on the ground in Lebanon appear to be outpacing diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, rising sectarian tensions and clashes, both between Sunni and Shiite groups and among the divid
